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Isan Diaz

Isan Diaz Elects Free Agency

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August 28: The Tigers announced today that Diaz has elected free agency.

August 27: The Tigers announced this afternoon that infielder Isan Diaz has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Toledo. As there had been no prior public indication that Diaz had been designated for assignment and a corresponding addition to the club’s roster was not announced, Detroit’s 40-man roster now stands at 39.

Diaz, 27, made his big league debut with the Marlins back in 2019. A former second-round pick, Diaz has played solid defense at both second and third base but has never managed to hit much in the majors, slashing just .177/.267/.274 in 527 career trips to the plate. He’s been an up-and-down bench player throughout most of his career, with his most expansive role coming with Miami during the 2021 season. That year, Diaz appeared in 89 games and slashed .193/.293/.282 with a wRC+ of 55.

Diaz was outrighted off the Marlins’ roster just before the start of the 2022 campaign before being promptly traded to the Giants for cash. Though he didn’t make a big league appearance in 2022, the Giants returned him to the 40-man roster and deployed him in six games this season, though Diaz batted a woeful .053/.143/.053 in that brief stint with San Francisco. The Giants designated Diaz for assignment earlier this month, at which point he was claimed off waivers by the Tigers. Diaz then appeared in two games with Detroit, though he failed to reach base in his five trips to the plate.

As Diaz has been outrighted previously in his career, he’ll have the opportunity to reject today’s outright assignment and test free agency, should he wish. He’s posted a solid .242/.333/.492 slash line in the minors this year, indicating that it’s possible the 27-year-old infielder has something left in the tank that could be attractive on a minor league deal to clubs in need of infield depth. Should Diaz elect free agency, he would need to sign with a club before September 1 in order to be eligible for the postseason. As for the Tigers, they’ll remain well-stocked with infield options at the Triple-A level in the event Diaz departs, with Tyler Nevin, Eddys Leonard, Nick Maton, and Ryan Kreidler all on the 40-man roster.

Tigers Claim Isan Diaz From Giants, Designate Zach Logue

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The Tigers have claimed infielder Isan Díaz off waivers from the Giants and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo, tweets Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Left-hander Zach Logue was designated for assignment in a corresponding 40-man move. Diaz’s spot on San Francisco’s 40-man roster will go to outfielder Luis González, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

Díaz returned to the majors with San Francisco a couple months ago. After a 2022 season as a non-roster player in Triple-A, he was selected onto the Giants’ 40-man last offseason. He’s spent the bulk of the year on the minor league injured list but gotten into six big league contests. The left-handed hitting infielder has a .240/.324/.490 line this season in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, striking out at an untenable 35.2% clip over 26 games.

The former top prospect had a much better .275/.377/.574 showing in Sacramento a year ago, however. Detroit baseball operations leader Scott Harris was in the Giants’ front office for the bulk of that season. He’ll take another look at Díaz, who is in his final minor league option year. The 27-year-old has only mustered a .179/.269/.277 batting line in 151 MLB games spread over four campaigns. He’s a .268/.359/.525 hitter in over 1100 trips to the dish at the top minor league level.

Detroit claimed Logue off waivers from the A’s last offseason. They quickly ran him through waivers themselves but selected him back onto the roster in late-June. The 27-year-old has thrown 11 innings of relief through a trio of appearances, allowing nine runs despite a solid 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Logue was hammered for a 6.79 ERA over 57 frames with Oakland a season ago and has a 6.22 mark through 63 2/3 innings with Toledo.

The Tigers will again place the Kentucky product on waivers this week. Should he go unclaimed, he’d have the right to become a minor league free agent based on his previous career outright.

González has missed the entire season after offseason back surgery. He’s now healthy but won’t step right back onto the big league roster. The 27-year-old had a solid .254/.323/.360 showing over 350 plate appearances last year — his first extended MLB action.

Giants Place Mike Yastrzemski On Injured List, Recall Isan Diaz

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The Giants announced a pair of roster moves before tonight’s division matchup with the Diamondbacks. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is headed to the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 22, with a left hamstring strain. Infielder Isan Díaz was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take the active roster spot.

Yastrzemski has landed on the IL with left hamstring concerns twice this season. He returned within two weeks back in May. The club will hope for a similarly swift comeback this time around. Yastrzemski has a .259/.324/.482 line with 10 home runs through 217 trips to the plate. He’s played primarily center field but moved to left field once Mitch Haniger broke his arm and the Giants called up Luis Matos to man center.

Blake Sabol is getting the nod in left field tonight against a right-handed pitcher. Austin Slater picked up the start against a left-hander yesterday, and the club could continue with a platoon arrangement in Yastrzemski’s absence.

Díaz is starting at second base. It’s his team debut and first MLB appearance since 2021. A former top prospect, he struggled to a .185/.275/.287 line in 500 plate appearances with the Marlins between 2019-21. San Francisco signed him to a minor league deal in 2022.

The left-handed hitter had a strong ’22 season in Sacramento, hitting .275/.377/.574 in 83 games. The Giants selected his contract at the start of last offseason to prevent him from returning to minor league free agency. He spent most of this season on the minor league injured list but is now healthy and ready to don a San Francisco uniform for the first time.

Giants Claim Dom Nunez, Select Isan Diaz

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The Giants announced they’ve claimed catcher Dom Nuñez off waivers from the Rockies. San Francisco also selected infielder Isan Díaz onto their 40-man roster. The Giants announced that infielders Ford Proctor and Taylor Jones, outfielders Bryce Johnson and Austin Dean, and right-hander Zack Littell all went unclaimed on waivers.

Nuñez changes organizations for the first time in his career. The left-handed hitting backstop entered pro ball as a sixth-round draftee of Colorado back in 2013. Nuñez made his MLB debut in 2019 and has appeared in three of the last four seasons, mostly as a depth player. He has appeared in 111 big league games, tallying 347 plate appearances of .180/.280/.373 hitting. Nuñez has walked in an excellent 12.4% of his plate appearances but struck out at an untenable 34% rate in the majors.

The 27-year-old has one minor league option year remaining. If he holds his spot on the Giants 40-man roster all winter, they can freely bounce him between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento next season. An Elk Grove native, Nuñez has a .240/.336/.400 line in parts of eight minor league seasons. He joins Joey Bart and Austin Wynns as catchers on the 40-man roster.

Díaz is a former top prospect who went to the Marlins in the Christian Yelich trade. He hit only .185/.275/.287 over 500 trips to the plate from 2019-21. Miami outrighted the switch-hitting second baseman off the 40-man roster in March, and he cleared waivers at the time. The Giants acquired him for cash not long after and assigned him to Sacramento for the 2022 campaign.

The 26-year-old connected on 23 longballs in 83 Triple-A games this year. He posted an excellent .275/.377/.574 line with a 13% walk rate to put himself back on the radar. San Francisco didn’t call up Díaz at any point during the season, but they’ll devote him a 40-man roster spot for now to keep him from hitting minor league free agency. He still has a minor league option remaining, so he can bounce between San Francisco and Sacramento if he holds the 40-man spot over the winter.

San Francisco acquired Proctor from the Rays in August. He made his big league debut late in the season, appearing in seven games. Jones came over from the Astros on waivers in September, while Dean was claimed last offseason. Johnson is a former sixth-rounder who made his MLB debut in September, getting into 11 games.

Littell has the most experience of the group of outrighted players. The right-hander has pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the Twins and Giants. Littell was a high-leverage arm in 2021, pitching to a 2.92 ERA across 61 2/3 frames. He only managed a 5.08 ERA through 44 1/3 innings this year. Rather than tender him an arbitration contract in the $900K range, San Francisco ran him through waivers.

Proctor and Johnson will remain in the organization and try to play their way onto the 40-man roster. Littell, Dean and Jones will have the ability to qualify for minor league free agency.

Giants Acquire Isan Diaz From Marlins

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The Giants have acquired infielder Isan Diaz from the Marlins in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson reports (Twitter link).  The Fish designated Diaz for assignment last week.

This is the third time Diaz has been dealt in his career, though this particular trade is far and away the lowest-profile of the three swaps.  Originally selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2014 draft, Diaz was part of the five-player deal between the D’Backs and Brewers in January 2016 that brought Jean Segura to Arizona.  In January 2018, Milwaukee then included Diaz as one of the four prospects sent to Miami in the Christian Yelich blockbuster.

Diaz drew some top-100 prospect attention during his time in the minors, so it wasn’t surprising that multiple teams were interested in his services.  However, Diaz wasn’t able to translate his minor league production into success in the majors, as he has hit only .185/.275/.287 over 501 career plate appearances over the 2019-21 seasons (he also opted out of much of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns).  Diaz hasn’t seen any big league action this year, or even much action at all due to injuries — he has thus far appeared in two rehab games at A-ball, and two Triple-A games.

Originally drafted as a shortstop, Diaz was moved off the position but then surpassed by Jazz Chisholm as the Marlins’ second baseman of the future.  Defensive metrics aren’t impressed with Diaz’s work at second base or third base, though as technically a multi-position capable player, he does fit the versatile profile that the Giants often covet.  Diaz also doesn’t turn 26 until next month, so the Giants may feel he might be a late bloomer who could break out in a new environment.  Considering San Francisco’s success at reclamation projects in recent years, it might not be surprising if Diaz should blossom with his new club.

Marlins Designate Isan Diaz For Assignment

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The Marlins have designated infielder Isan Diaz for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for newly signed Jorge Soler, per a club announcement.

Diaz’s DFA largely closes the book on the blockbuster trade that sent Christian Yelich from Miami to Milwaukee. Diaz was one of four prospects received by the Marlins, joining outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison and righty Jordan Yamamoto in the deal. Brinson, the most highly regarded of the bunch, was designated for assignment in November, became a free agent and inked a minor league deal with the Astros after the lockout. Miami designated Harrison for assignment just last week. Yamamoto was traded to the Mets for now-21-year-old infielder Federico Polanco last offseason. Polanco hit .236/.301/.324 in A-ball this past season.

A highly touted prospect himself at the time of that blockbuster Yelich trade, Diaz has received plenty of chances with the Fish but has simply yet to produce at the big league level. He’s logged time in each of the past three seasons, topping 200 plate appearances in both 2019 and 2021, but the 25-year-old has only a .185/.275/.287 batting line to show for his time at the MLB level. Diaz has played both second base (735 innings) and third base (278 inning) with the Marlins but has registered sub-par defensive marks at both positions.

For all his struggles in the big leagues, Diaz does have a solid 10.6% walk rate, albeit against a more concerning 27.8% strikeout rate. He’s also been consistently productive in the upper minors, evidenced by a career .272/.359/.514 with 34 home runs, 33 doubles and seven triples in 706 Triple-A plate appearances. Diaz has a minor league option year remaining, so perhaps a rebuilding club with some infield opportunities might consider taking a low-risk look. The Marlins will have a week to trade Diaz or place him on outright waivers, at which point any team would be able to claim him (based on reverse order of last year’s overall MLB standings).

This Date In Transactions History: January 30

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Let’s take a look back at some notable moves taking place on this day in years past…

  • 2021: The Blue Jays officially announced their one-year, $18MM deal with Marcus Semien, as the two sides agreed to the contract a few days prior.  In the aftermath of a disappointing 2020 season with the A’s, Semien opted for the one-year pact with Toronto in order to rebuild his free agent value with a better performance in 2021.  This plan worked to perfection, as Semien finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs (a new single-season record for a second baseman).  Semien then cashed in during his most recent trip to the open market, signing a seven-year, $175MM contract with the Rangers signed prior to the lockout.
  • 2021: In another notable move completed one year ago, the Athletics acquired Cole Irvin from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.  Irvin hadn’t done much over 45 1/3 career innings with Philadelphia, but the southpaw emerged as a valuable member of Oakland’s rotation last year, posting a 4.24 ERA over 178 1/3 innings.  While the Statcast metrics weren’t kind to Irvin and questions remain as to whether or not he can stick as a reliable starting pitcher, and yet for the cost of just a minor cash outlay, the trade was already a win for the A’s.  It is possible Irvin wouldn’t have broken out without a change of scenery, and yet the deal doesn’t look great in hindsight for the Phillies, especially considering the Phils spent much of the season looking for consistency at the back of their rotation.
  • 2016: Jean Segura was traded for the second of four times in his career, as the Diamondbacks acquired Segura and right-hander Tyler Wagner from the Brewers for a package of Chase Anderson, Isan Diaz, Aaron Hill, and $5.5MM to cover part of Hill’s remaining salary.  Segura’s lone season in Arizona was the best of his career (.319/.368/.499 with 20 homers as part of a 5.0 fWAR campaign), but it wasn’t enough to keep the D’Backs from a 93-loss season.  With Mike Hazen taking over as Arizona’s GM in the aftermath of that rough season, Segura found himself on the move again in November 2016, traded to the Mariners in another notable swap that brought Ketel Marte to the desert.  From Milwaukee’s perspective, their Segura trade ended up being a nice win.  Anderson became a solid member of the rotation for four seasons, while Diaz was part of the prospect package the Brewers sent to the Marlins to land Christian Yelich.
  • 2006: Hey, remember when Mike Piazza played for the Padres?  The Hall-of-Famer spent only one season in a Friars uniform, but it was a memorable one, sparked when Piazza signed a one-year, $2MM deal (with an $8MM mutual option for 2007).  Getting the bulk of playing time as San Diego’s starting catcher, Piazza still plenty left in the tank at age 37, hitting .283/.342/.501 with 22 home runs over 439 PA.  Piazza’s big year helped the Padres win the NL West, but the team declined their end of the mutual option after the season.
  • 1954: Bobby Thomson’s legendary home run helped THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT in 1951, but it can be argued that trading Thomson helped the Giants win the World Series in 1954.  On this day 68 years ago, the then-New York Giants picked up left-handers Johnny Antonelli and Don Liddle, backup catcher Ebba St. Claire, infielder Billy Klaus and $50K in cash from the then-Milwaukee Braves in exchange for Thomson and catcher Sam Calderone.  Antonelli became a fixture of the Giants rotation for the next seven seasons, reaching six All-Star games and posting a league-best 2.30 ERA in 1954.  Liddle was also a solid arm for New York in 1954, and might be best remembered for allowing the long Vic Wertz fly ball that required Willie Mays to make “The Catch” in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.  Brought into the game specifically to face Wertz, Liddle was removed after facing his one batter — according to legend, Liddle then wisecracked “well, I got my man” in mock-bragging fashion after leaving the game.
  • 1923: It’s not quite the most famous example of the Red Sox trading a future Hall-of-Famer to the Yankees, since it’s not like Boston fans bemoaned “The Curse Of Herb Pennock.”  Still, the Yankees never won a World Series before Pennock came to the Bronx, dealt from Boston for $50K and three players who were all gone from the Sox roster by 1925.  Pennock was already a 10-year veteran with a solid career behind him at the time of the trade, but after a couple of relative down years in 1921 and 1922, the Sox were ready to move on.  Pennock went on to pitch 11 seasons with the Yankees, posting a 3.54 ERA over 2203 1/3 innings and helping New York win four Series championships.  The southpaw was at his best in October, with a 1.95 ERA over 55 1/3 career innings in World Series play.

Marlins To Place Jazz Chisholm On Injured List

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April 28: Chisholm will be placed on the 10-day injured list, reports Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Marlins will recall fellow infielder Isan Diaz in his place. Diaz, who’ll turn 25 next month, is a former top prospect himself but has yet to find any sustained success in his limited big league action to date. Through 223 plate appearances, he’s batted just .174/.251/.294.

The Marlins have yet to provide any sort of timeline on Chisholm’s expected return, although manager Don Mattingly will surely touch on the subject prior this afternoon’s game against the Brewers.

April 27: Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm exited their game against the Brewers on Tuesday with a strained left hamstring, the team announced. The severity of the injury is unknown at this point.

Chisholm, originally acquired from the Diamondbacks for right-hander Zac Gallen in 2019, has emerged as one of baseball’s most electrifying players so far this season. The 23-year-old has already totaled 1.0 fWAR in 80 plate appearances, having slashed .290/.375/.551 with four home runs and a National League-leading seven stolen bases.

In the event Chisholm has to go on the injured list, it would further weaken a Marlins lineup that’s already missing a couple of other important contributors. Center fielder Starling Marte has been on the shelf since April 18 with a fractured rib, and his return isn’t imminent. Meanwhile, third baseman Brian Anderson and catcher Jorge Alfaro have been on the IL for a week apiece.

Jon Berti has racked up the most playing time at second for the Marlins behind Chisholm, but he has been filling in at third during Anderson’s absence. Miami replaced Chisholm on Tuesday with Jose Devers, a 21-year-old who had never played above High-A ball until the team recalled him last week.

Jazz Chisholm To Open Season As Marlins’ Second Baseman

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Marlins prospect Jazz Chisholm has won the opening day second base job. General Manager Kim Ng made the announcement on the radio, noting that Isan Diaz, Chisholm’s main competition for the role, will begin the year in Triple-A, per Jordan McPherson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).

Chisholm, of course, was acquired via trade from the Diamondbacks for Zac Gallen at the 2019 trade deadline. Gallen’s spring injury aside, he has generally flourished in Arizona. Chisholm and the Marlins have work to do to make this deal look like a strong one for Miami. After finishing 2019 at Double-A with a .220/.321/.441 line, Chisholm made his Major League debut in 2020 under sub-optimal circumstances. In 62 plate appearances over 21 games, Chisholm hit just .161/.242/.321. He has game-changing speed, but the bat will need to follow to make good on his top prospect status. He is the Marlins’ 4th-ranked prospect, per Baseball America.

Diaz, meanwhile, was a slight favorite to start the year at second, but he struggled this spring going just 4-for-22 with seven walks to thirteen strikeouts. He has 223 plate appearances in the Majors between 2019 and 2020, owning a triple slash of .174/.251/.294. He has struck out in close to 30 percent of his plate appearances while walking at an average 8.5 percent clip. Still just 24-years-old, Diaz will head to Triple-A to await his next opportunity.

Marlins Place Isan Diaz On 60-Day IL, Reinstate Sean Rodriguez

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The Marlins have placed infielder Isan Diaz on the 60-day injured list due to a left groin strain, according to multiple reporters (including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro).  Infielder Sean Rodriguez has been activated from the injured list to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster.

The IL placement will officially end a very unusual season for Diaz, who ended up appearing in seven games and hitting .182/.182/.182 over 22 plate appearances.  Diaz played in two games before deciding to opt out of the 2020 season, and then opted to rejoin the Marlins in September after getting permission from both the league and the MLBPA.  All things considered, 2020 is essentially a lost year for the top prospect, though one would think he still projects as a big part of Miami’s future plans.

Diaz had been starting regularly at second base since his return, but the keystone may now be handled by a combination of rookie Jazz Chisholm and Rodriguez, who now seems set to officially begin his Marlins tenure.  Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the Fish prior to the season and made the Opening Day roster, but was placed on the IL along with a dozen teammates in early August.  While no official reason was given for Rodriguez’s absence, it is probably safe to assume that it was COVID-related, given the outbreak that hit Miami’s roster around that time.

The 35-year-old Rodriguez is a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, with a .226/.302/.380 slash line over an even 2900 plate appearances.  Rodriguez has played all over the field during his career, giving the Marlins a pair of versatile utility pieces in Rodriguez and Jon Berti, once Berti (finger laceration) returns from what is expected to be a minimal injured list stint.

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